Frequently Asked Questions

(Updated March 13, 2008)

 

What are the age requirements for participation? Flag Division (boys 4-5 years old as of September 1, 2008) Tackle Football (boys ages 6-11 as of September 1, 2008), Cheer (girls 4-11).

How are the football teams composed?

North Texas Youth Football Divisions:

Flag Division – Ages 4 & 5 (age on or before September 1, 2008)

Tackle Football:

Bantam Division – Ages 6 & 7 (age on or before September 1, 2008)

Junior Division – Ages 8 & 9 (age on or before September 1, 2008)

Senior Division – Ages 10 & 11 (age on or before September 1, 2008)

Do we have to live in Burleson to participate? No. The BYA Raiders participation is open to children from Burleson, Cleburne, Joshua, Alvarado parts of Mansfield and Crowley and all BYA Raider Football and Cheerleaders.

Does my child need experience to participate? No.

Does BYA require a copy of my child’s birth certificate for participation with Football? Yes.  A copy of your child’s birth certificate will be required at sign ups and to remain on file with BYA for the season. 

Will we have to provide a report card for participation with football and/or cheer? Yes.  A copy of your child’s 2008 report card will be required to be on file with BYA.

What is the cost for participation for 2008? Costs are still being worked at this time for 2008.

Do I need to bring my child to sign ups? Yes. Your child will be fitted for a uniform and the players will be weighed for team placement.

Where & when will sign ups be held? Dates are still pending, please check our website at www.bya.org for dates and times, as well as flyers will be sent home with your child from school. The sign ups will be held at the Whitley Building at Bartlett Park.

Do the Raiders travel? Depends on what you consider travel. For games you may be required to drive to Grand Prairie, Arlington, Fort Worth, Crowley, Aledo.

Where do the Raiders play their home games? Bartlett Park in Burleson.

When is the first practice and where? The date for the first practice will be determined by North Texas Youth Football and will be at the end of July or first part of August.  You will be contacted by a coach or other BYA representative with practice information including the location or check our website www.bya.org for practice information. For the 1st week of practice, football players need to come in shorts and t-shirts, no pads. Cheerleaders will come in shorts and t-shirts. You should get a reminder call or email from someone in the organization reminding you about practice, the location and time. When will the season begin and how long will it last? The season will start in late August and will go through October. Playoff games will start immediately following the regular season and continue until the team is eliminated or proceeds to the Super Bowl. When will we receive a schedule for the season? A schedule will be provided to the teams prior to the first game of the season.  Unfortunately an exact date is not known at this time.

Will the schedule or game location change? The schedule is subject to change based on many reasons. For example, until we obtain our schedules, the leagues cannot plan for special occasions, such as Homecoming. For some activities additional time is required between games, therefore the home team may request a time change. Additionally locations can change at the last minute, for many reasons. We will get any changes to you as soon as we are notified.

Do we pay to get in to the games? Yes. Spectators pay for admission to games.  (Players and cheerleaders do not pay to get in games.)

What other expenses might be incurred to participate?

-          You will be provided with a list of equipment that your child will need to play or cheer. Some of these items are safety equipment (pads); other items are those that complete their uniform (socks, shoes).

-          As with any organized sport, your family will be requested to participate with fundraisers throughout the season. Fundraisers are a way that helps keep the parents expenses down to a minimum.

-          Concession buy-outs will be required as the season gets started. This should be a fairly inexpensive cost. This will provide you the ability to enjoy your child(ren) in the sport and not have to volunteer to work in the concession stand. What are Certifications? North Texas Youth Football certifies football players based on the following criteria:

·      Age – Your child’s birth certificate or a copy of their birth certificate will be used for age verification. 

·      Weight – Players will be weighed at the official Weigh-in (date, time and location to be determined at a later date).  Players exceeding the weight restriction for each division will have a sticker notation on their helmet.  (For additional information on weight restricted players, please contact Carl Dechert at the email noted below.)

·      Medical Your child will need to complete or have previously completed during 2008 a physical in order to participate with BYA Football.

We will be provided with the date, time and location of Certifications by North Texas Youth Football and that information will be provided to you immediately. Certifications will be held in August. Please make every possible attempt to be at Certifications. Any player not making certifications will be considered a restricted weight player.

How do I get the most current information for the organization? Game times, changes, locations, etc. Email is the easiest method to reach the largest number of parents quickly and efficiently. If you have provided us with an email, please check it as often as possible. Emails may come from various individuals, Raiders will be included in the subject line to help you identify that the information coming over may be of assistance to you. Additionally as emails go out, our website (www.bya.org) will be updated with the same information, if you do not have email, but do have access to the internet, you can check our website for up to date information. Telephone calls follow these two methods. You may receive calls from anyone in the organization from Team Mom, Coach, etc. anyone that may be volunteering their time to get information to you. If you are not home, and have an answering machine, messages will be left for you on the machine, please check those as often as possible.

How can I contact someone before the season starts with questions, issues or concerns?

Football:

Carl Dechert

cldechert@sbcglobal.net

817-538-1217

Cheer:

Cheryl Schwarzer

clschwarzer@att.net 817-447-4295

Or Wendy Vaughn wvaughn377@hotmail.com